DIXIE AAA MAJORS BASEBALL
LAKELAND –
Just when it appeared Spring Hill National’s AAA Majors (ages 11-12) Dixie Baseball All-Stars’ unbeaten dreams would be dashed Thursday night against Bushnell, up sprung one last rush.
Down 3-0, Spring Hill National rallied for two runs in the fourth and five runs in its final at-bat in the sixth in Polk County to tame Bushnell and capture its third AAA Majors state championship in four years.
Spring Hill National (7-0 states, 12-0 overall) will represent Florida in the 11-state, 12-team Dixie World Series in Carthage, N.C. beginning Aug. 13.
Bushnell finished as state runner-up at 8-5 overall, suffering four losses in four games this summer to Spring Hill National.
What was difference Thursday?
From the visiting dugout, Head Coach Shawn Laferty became the first Spring Hill Dixie Youth skipper to ever guide two teams to state titles.
“Even when we were down 3-0, we knew we’d been here before,” said Laferty. “I wasn’t really worried. It was a sloppy game. But I anticipated something like this. Deep down we knew that if we applied enough pressure, good things would happen. Tonight, though, we didn’t swing the bats the way we had before.”
“They’re (Spring Hill National) a primarily 12-year-old team, we’re primarily an 11-year-old team,” replied Bushnell Head Coach Mike Eastburn. “Spring Hill is a solid, solid team. They’re well-coached. Credit belongs to Shawn (Laferty), he’s a great coach.
“Spring Hill’s first three batters are deadly, but I thought we did a good job against them,” added Coach Eastburn of holding Spring Hill’s National’s top five batters to a 1-for-13 effort (.077). “We came close tonight. I thought we were three outs away when we faced the bottom of their lineup in the sixth.”
How’d Coach Eastburn see the game?
“Tonight was a pitchers’ duel,” he said. “There were times when both guys struggled. I’m not gonna say our guy gassed out (at the end), but maybe the pressure of the moment got to him. To me, Spring Hill has a better team this year than last year. They could win it all (at the World Series). But I know we’ll be a better team because of this experience.”
Any regrets?
“No,” replied Coach Eastburn. “This is not our year. We have eight 11-year-olds, two 10-year-olds and two 12-year-olds. We learned a lot. I think both teams represented District 6 well, but we’ll be back.”
Keys to the game?
“I thought one of the keys was Noah (Siem) settling down and us changing catchers,” replied Coach Laferty. “Give credit to Bushnell. You watch; they’ll be the dominant team here next year. We’d seen all their pitchers before. Tonight, they played a great game. It was a grind-it-out-type game. We just had to be patient.”
Who deserves the most credit?
“I thought before we got here our pitching would carry us,” described Coach Laferty. “And it did. Even though Noah was a little off tonight, he’s very hard to hit. … And (Robert) Bunyon pitched a heck of game for us last night. As the game went on, he got stronger. … And (Miguel) Martinez has been a great closer for us. He kept asking me tonight to close it out. Those are the kinds of kids you want; guys that want the ball against the best.”
Which state crown means more, this one or the one in 2008 at Ridge Manor?
“This one means more because it’s been a few years in the making and these are my kids,” Laferty replied. “This one is sweeter. It’s always nice to do it twice.”
Prelude to a title
The defending state champions from Hernando County entered their seventh game in six days fresh from Wednesday night’s improbable win. SHN trailed 4-1 before rallying for a convincing 12-4 nod in the opener of the best 2-of-3 series against the Sumter County club.
On Thursday, a scoreless first inning gave way to a midsummer Florida afternoon thunder shower at Aldine Combee Park.
The hosts from East Lakeland, however, had tarped over an adjacent field. The game was switched to Field No. 3 and after a 75-minute rain delay, play was resumed.
With the resumption of play, Bushnell (4-3 states, 8-5 overall) struggled early in the pitchers’ duel pitting Spring Hill National southpaw Noah Siem and Bushnell right-hander Cornelius Patterson.
Siem, who gave up a first-inning, two-out single to Carson Wells, fanned five of the initial seven batters he faced. The other runner, Diego Arredondo, reached on an error, but was left stranded.
The game’s complexion changed in the third.
Facing the bottom half of the Bushnell lineup, Siem appeared to lose his concentration and focus walking four Bushnell batters in a row – his only free passes of the game.
When Casey Adams coaxed a bases-loaded walk, catcher Austin Legg simply trotted home.
While Siem struggled with his control, Spring Hill National catcher Max Glenn also appeared to be laboring. Unbeknownst to anyone, Glenn had injured his thumb and could not properly close his glove against the hard-throwing Siem.
Complicating matters, Glenn was charged with an error as Deontae Grant scored from third, 2-0.
With one out, Arredondo grounded into a fielder’s choice allowing Matthew Tadlock to score, 3-0 Bushnell.
Siem wiggled out of the jam as Gabriel Dorsey grounded out.
The comeback
To begin the next frame, Coach Laferty opted to replace the injured Glenn with catcher Joey DelGatto. Under his guidance, Siem appeared to settle down and find a groove – and how.
After Adams’ bases-loaded walk, Siem retired the next 11 batters in a row, featuring nine Ks.
Siem’s streak ended with two outs in the sixth when Dorsey deposited a 1-0 offering over the left-center field 180-foot fence.
All told, Siem faced 25 batters permitting two hits and four walks. He ended the game on top fanning Bushnell’s dangerous third hitter, Chandler Lake, for the third time – for his 15th strikeout.
Down 3-0, Laferty’s club began to chip away at Patterson.
With one out and the bases loaded in the fourth, Bodhi Sbashnig grounded into a fielder’s choice plating Luke Laftery, who had reached after being hit by a pitch.
Robert Bunyon reached on an infield single to reload the sacks. But Patterson plunked Marcus Rodriguez on the arm to force Dominic Marrone home from third base. Marrone had reached on a single to right.
Fortunately, Patterson left the bases loaded by fanning Miguel Martinez, 3-2 Bushnell.
Spring Hill left a game-high 10 runners on base. In the fifth, DelGatto (third) and Siem (second), who each reached on free passes, were left stranded when Patterson fanned three.
In the critical sixth, the Hernando County club sent 10 batters to plate taking advantage of one hit, one error, two hit batters and three walks to break the game open.
Sbashnig opened the frame by being plunked by Patterson. Bunyon and Rodriguez each coaxed walks to load the sacks.
Martinez grounded sharply to first baseman Carson Wells, who threw wildly to the plate in an attempt to cut down Sbashnig, 3-3.
DelGatto followed with a little looper that dropped in front of the shortstop for a RBI single, plating pinch runner Logan Ross, 4-3.
How fortunate was DelGatto? Six inches either way and Bushnell could have turned a double play.
Glenn followed by grounding out to second base allowing Rodriguez to score, 5-3.
With two outs, Siem was hit by a pitch (the fourth time Patterson had plunked a batter).
Marrone received a bases-loaded walk to force home Martinez, 6-3.
A subsequent Patterson wild pitch (his fourth of the game) permitted DelGatto to scamper home, 7-3.
Patterson, who faced 35 batters, limited the hot-hitting Spring Hill National nine to three hits. He issued eight walks, but fanned nine.
Dorsey closed the scoring with a solo homer in the bottom of the sixth for Bushnell, 7-4.
Bunyon was asked if Spring Hill National ever panicked Thursday?
“Maybe a little,” said Bunyon, who celebrated his 13th birthday. “I thought the difference was even when we got down, Noah shut them down and we kinda hung in there.”
How cool is it celebrating a state championship on your birthday?
“It’s huge,” smiled Bunyon, who finished 1-for-2. “Doing this on your birthday is pretty nice.”
DelGatto assessed his battery mate Siem.
“Noah just needs to stay calm,” noted the 12-year-old DelGatto, who went 1-for-1 and walked twice. “When I got in there he pitched excellent; he consistently hit his spots.”
How critical is the victory?
“I wanted this,” said DelGatto. “It tastes pretty good.”
For his part, Siem addressed Thursday’s highs and lows.
“Don’t take me wrong, I love Max (Glenn) as a teammate and a friend,” noted the 13-year-old Siem. “But I think I have greater chemistry with Joey (DelGatto). He’s always calm; he keeps me calm.
“I’ll admit I lost my composure (in the third). I went into that inning doubting my fastball and as a pitcher you can’t do that,” he said. “Once we scored some runs I started getting more motivated. This team motivates each other. We have such great chemistry; that’s why we win.”
And the sixth-inning homer?
“For a couple innings they were looking to hit first-pitch strikes and then for some reason I lobbed one up there,” said Siem. “It didn’t have my normal speed and he (Dorsey) just punished me.”
Is this team capable of a World Series crown?
“This team has the attitude that even when we’re down, we’re never out of it,” said Siem. “I didn’t know Spring Hill has never won the World Series. To me, that motivates us twice as much.”
(State Championship)
Spring Hill National 7, Bushnell 4
123 456 – R H ER
SHN 000 205 – 7 3 2
BUSH 003 001 – 4 2 2
SHN – Siem and Glenn, Delgatto (4).
BUSH – Patterson and Legg.
W – Siem. L – Patterson.
HR – Dorsey (BUSH).
Records – Spring Hill National (7-0 states, 12-0 overall), Bushnell (4-3 states, 8-5 overall).
“Road to The Show”
2011 Dixie AAA Majors (ages 11-12) All-Stars District 6 Baseball Tournament Recap
at Ridge Manor Community Park
06-25:
Bushnell 10, Wildwood 7
San Antonio 10, Oak Griner 0 (4½ Inns.)
Hernando 8, South Lake 7
Spring Hill American 4, Sumter 3
Spring Hill National 25, Ridge Manor 0 (2½ Inns.)
06-27:
Games rained out.
06-28:
Wildwood 7, Oak Griner 2
South Lake 17, Sumter 5 (5 Inns.)
Bushnell 17, San Antonio 6 (5 Inns.)
Spring Hill National 12, Spring Hill American 0 (5 Inns.)
06-29:
Wildwood 2, South Lake 0
San Antonio 14, Ridge Manor 3
Bushnell 12, Hernando 3
Bye – Spring Hill National.
06-30:
Wildwood 14, Spring Hill American 4
Hernando 4, San Antonio 2
Spring Hill National 9, Bushnell 3
07-01:
Bushnell 3, Hernando 2
Spring Hill National 9, Wildwood 3
07-02:
(Third Place)
Wildwood 16, Hernando 10.
Records – Wildwood (4-2), Hernando (2-3).
(Championship)
Spring Hill National 11, Bushnell 0 (4 Inns.)
Records – Spring Hill National (5-0), Bushnell (4-2).
NOTE: District 6’s top four teams all advance to July 23 State Championship at East Lakeland.
Baseball
Dixie Youth League AAA Majors (ages 11-12) State Tourney
at Lakeland’s Aldine Combee Park
07-23:
Spring Hill National 13, Hernando 0 (4½ Inns.)
Bartow 10, Graceville 0
Wewahitchka 8, Wildwood 5
East Lakeland 16, Vernon 3
Mulberry 12, DeSoto County 2
Franklin County 11, Paxton 5
Spring Hill National 1, Freeport 0
Bartow 13, Wewahitchka 7
Wildwood 15, Graceville 2
East Lakeland 15, Mulberry 4
Bushnell 12, Franklin County 2
DeSoto 9, Vernon 1
07-24:
Spring Hill National 8, Bartow 7 (6½ Inns.)
Wildwood 7, Hernando 1
Freeport 11, Wewahitchka 1 (4 Inns.)
Bushnell 9, East Lakeland 5
Mulberry 9, Franklin County 8
DeSoto County 9, Paxton 8
07-25:
Spring Hill National 7, Wildwood 5
Bartow 3, Freeport 0
East Lakeland 9, Mulberry 5
Bushnell 15, DeSoto County 1 (5 Inns.)
07-26:
Pool A Championship:
Spring Hill National 4, Bartow 2
East Lakeland 8, Bushnell 7
07-27:
Pool B Championship
Bushnell 4, East Lakeland 3
Best 2-of-3 series follows
Spring Hill National 12, Bushnell 4 (5½ Inns.)
07-28:
(Championship)
Spring Hill National 7, Bushnell 4
NOTE: Spring Hill National will represent Florida in the Aug. 13 AAA Majors World Series in Carthage, N.C.
Sports Editor Tony Castro can be reached at 352-544-5278 or [email protected].
